Anyone home here??

Hello,

Is this forum usually so quiet and serene??

DL

Looks like it---was gonna add it to my favs, but there doesn't seem to be much point eh?

This is really sad!! So many affordable hydroponic/aquaponic and deep water culture systems available for GREAT prices!! Seems like more folks would be here chatting about their indoor gardens. A home grown tomato in December in Boston - yummmmmmmmmy!! Might not taste as good as a dirt grown tomato in August but still much better than store tomato!!

I am just starting indoor veggies and wanted to chat! Oh well.............................

indoor veggies sound good---specially to me here in the North--do tell!!

threegardeners,

I am going to grow chard, romaine lettuce and spinach. I purchased an 8 pot hydroponic system on eBay for $29 and will put this simple system under grow lights. I don't have enough experience to try tomatoes or peppers right now but I figured growing salad greens would give me some "lessons" in how this whole hydroponic thing operates. The system I purchased could really be called aquaponics (without fish). The pots are net pots and the growing medium is clay rocks. The pots sit on top of a reservoir filled with 4 gallons of nutrient solution. The solution has an air stone in it to oxygenate the water. I will have to change the water once a week and add nutrients each time I add new water. I hope it works. It looks simple so I thought I would give it a try. Here is a photo of the system. I also got a high power grow light for this indoor system.

Wow, that was a pretty good deal---I have read on one of the plant forums, people keeping their houseplants nicely in that stuff. You'll probably have to start the seedlings in some other medium and transplant them into the pellets,no? I can't see spreading fine seeds in them right at the start.

I don't use my hydoponic stuff indoor cuz it takes more room. I got the Aerogarden cuz it's much more compact. There is a noticable change in growth rate with city treated water but it's so much more convenient so I stick with the facuet water. The Aerogarden, I started with the salad kit but have the master gardener kit now so I can do my own seeds. So, it's a bit pricey but I think it's worth the convenience..

threegardeners,
You are right the seeds are started in the little "brown fluff" cubes at the bottom right in the picture and as soon as you see the roots coming out the bottom of this seed starter you put the cube into the "rocks". The rocks are reusable over and over again but you can also use coir as a grow medium.


lcosden,
I looked at the Aerogarden but it was not large enough for the plants I needed. I really liked the system Aerogarden put together that is why I shopped around for a similar system that was large enough for my needs -BUT- small enough to fit on a work table in my basement.

DL

yeah, the aerogarden space is limited but it support 7 plants or if you grow multiple ones in each pod like I do, you get get more in. And I don't change water on mine. I just add more water when needed. I add H2O2 to give the plants a boost of oxygen and to sterilize the water. So far I've done that with all my indoor soil plants too and the plants really love it..

lcosden,

Do you use the store brand H2O2 already mixed in those brown plastic bottles -or- do you get the concentrate and mix your own??

DL

DL, I use the concentrated food grade H2O2. Some other people mention that in a pinch, they do use the store brand ones.. The store brand ones contain preservatives and stablizers.. Those are suppose to work just fine too..